Richmond Radio: James Levy New DOS For Alpha Media

James Levy

Alpha Media Richmond announced Wednesday that James Levy has been named Director of Sales for the Richmond cluster which includes stations 98.9 Liberty (WWLB-FM), Big Oldies 107.3 (WBBT-FM), 93.1 The Wolf (WLFV-FM), and WARV-FM.

The appointment become effective October 20, 2014.

A radio veteran with over 20 years of experience in the industry, James comes to Alpha Media most recently from Clear Channel. He started his radio career with EZ Communications and has held various positions including; Director of Retail Sales, Director of Research and Training, Regional Sales Manager, Local Sales Manager and General Sales Manager.

Alpha Media Richmond Market Manager, Paul Johnson commented on the announcement, “I have long been aware of James’s great reputation in the industry and I am confident his leadership and relationships within the Richmond business community will help lift our team to the next level of success.”

“We are delighted to have a true marketing professional like James join our great new management team in Richmond,” remarked Bill McElveen, Alpha Media Executive VP of the Southern Region.

“I could not be more excited to be joining Paul and the Alpha Media Group in Richmond. The cluster has great stations and great people and I am overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the opportunity to grow the cluster and have fun while doing so. I look forward to getting started and reaching out to my many friends and colleagues in Richmond,” said Levy.

Barbra Streisand Set for Historic No. 1 Album

Barbra Streisand may collect her 10th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week with the arrival of her new all-star duets album, Partners.

The Columbia Records set, which was released on Sept. 16, may sell over 150,000 copies in the week ending Sept. 21, according to industry forecasters. That starting sum should be enough to fend off all other titles on next week's chart -- the top 10 of which will be revealed on Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Partners features Streisand duetting with an all-male hit parade of singers, including Stevie Wonder, Michael Buble, Blake Shelton, Billy Joel and Lionel Richie.

If Partners hits No. 1, it will make Streisand the first artist with No. 1s in each of the past six decades ('60s through '10s), and it would extend her lead as the female artist with the most No. 1 albums.

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Akron Radio: Former WNIR Host Sues For Sexual Harassment

Maggie Fuller

Former WNIR 100.1 FM personality Maggie Fuller has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the radio station and its owners, Bill and Bob Klaus.

The Norwalk Reflector reports Fuller left the station one year ago after the station owners declined to discipline another WNIR host who was reported to have referred to her using a crude anatomical reference at a public event.

When interviewed about her exit last year, Fuller warned, “I’m going after them. I’m not going to take this laying down.”

The lawsuit, filed this week and assigned to Summit County Common Pleas Judge Amy Corrigall Jones, accuses the owners of abetting unlawful discriminatory practices, causing Fuller to lose $38,000 a year in income plus benefits, as well as suffer mental anguish, humiliation and loss of reputation.

The suit asks that Fuller be reinstated at the station and compensated for lost wages, or if not reinstated, given lost income as well as “future wages and benefits.” It also seeks $50,000 in compensatory and punitive damages.

Maggie Fuller, the on-air pseudonym of Nancy Jones of Kent, was hired by WNIR in 1999 and joined the morning crew, where banter “required” her to “endure a degree of sexual innuendo with her male colleagues.”

But defendent Bill Klaus had always instructed employees that there were limits on language that would be permitted on air, in public and in the workplace, “including avoidance of obscene and hateful terms,” the suit says.

Beginning April 2013, according to the lawsuit, host John “Couchburner” Denning repeatedly treated Fuller with hostility and disrespect on air and shut off Fuller’s microphone to prevent her from speaking during joint broadcasts, while the Klaus brothers tolerated and encouraged Denning’s behavior.

During the summer of 2013, the station sponsored “patio parties” to give listeners an opportunity to mingle with staff. At such a party Aug. 29, the lawsuit said, Denning was in a conversation with WNIR fans when he repeatedly called Fuller the “c” word.

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Orlando Radio: Magic's Leslye Gayle Marries

Orlando radio personality Leslye Gayle married Volusia County (FL) Sheriff Ben Johnson over the weekend.

“I feel like the luckiest girl in the world,” Gale said Wednesday. “Ben is such a quality man and those are not easy to find these days.”

Gale said she and Johnson were married Saturday at Lake Beresford Yacht Club, Daytona Beach in front of a small group of family and friends.

Gale of DeLand is the host of the Magic Morning Show on Magic 107.7, Orlando, where she has been waking up Central Florida listeners since 2001.

A longtime girlfriend of four-term Sheriff Johnson, Gale has shown support for the sheriff at all times, especially during his campaigns and victories in his re-elections.

“Ben and I have known one another for more than a decade, dating back to the days when I was a reporter for WKMG, Local 6, but didn’t start dating until about 6½ years ago after he made a guest appearance on my morning radio show on Magic107.7,” Gale said.

Sharon Osborne No Fan Of Apple, U2 Promotion

Sharon Osborne

Sharon Osbourne took to Twitter to express her views on the Apple/U2 deal that resulted in iTunes users receiving free copies of the band’s upcoming album.  Turns out she wasn’t exactly in love with the promotion, according to pollstar.com.

The band was reportedly paid somewhere around $30 million so that Apple could give their album away on iTunes – and it would be streaming on Jimmy Iovine's Beats as well.

“U2 you are business moguls not musicians anymore. No wonder you have to give your mediocre music away for free cause no one wants to buy it,” Osbourne tweeted Sept. 15. That got her on a roll. “Jimmy Iovine, iTunes, U2, you're a bunch of megalomaniacs. F__K YOU!.”

“Guys nothing is for free, how much you making?” she tweeted. “PS, btw you are just a bunch of middle age political groupies.” Oh yes, there was more.

“Whose political ass are we going to pull you out of today? Or are you front row at another tragic fashion show?”

Here's how to say NO to @U2's new record that was forced upon you by @iTunes - #NoThankU2 - http://t.co/eMq8YcsI7U
— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) September 16, 2014

TBT: WCBS-FM Personality Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor Gets A Bath!

It's WCBS 101.1 FM's Mid-dayer Dan Taylor's birthday today, so he's perfect for Throw Back Thursday!

The Birthday Boy Today!

September 18 In Radio History

In 1927...the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System debuted with a network of 16 radio stations. (Although other sources say 18.) The name was later changed to Columbia Broadcasting System, CBS.


In 1942...the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was authorized for radio service.

In 1965...Billboard's Hot 100..1965:  The Beatles made it three consecutive weeks at #1 with "Help!".  Barry McGuire edged up one spot closer with "Eve of Destruction" while Bob Dylan slipped with "Like a Rolling Stone".  We Five had "You Were On My Mind" and the Dave Clark Five moved from 13-5 with "Catch Us if You Can".

The rest of the Top 10:  The instrumental "The 'In' Crowd" from the Ramsey Lewis Trio, the McCoys slipped into the Top 10 with "Hang On Sloopy", the Turtles were moving slower with "It Ain't Me Babe", Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" came in ninth and the Yardbirds reached the list with "Heart Full of Soul".


In 1967...Longtime NYC radio personality Martin Block WNEW, WABC, WOR died.

Martin Block

In 1934, he went to work for WNEW at a salary of $20 per week. In 1935, while listeners to New York's WNEW in New York (now information outlet WBBR) were awaiting developments in the Lindbergh kidnapping, Block built his audience by playing records between the Lindbergh news bulletins. This led to his Make Believe Ballroom, which began February 3, 1935 with Block borrowing both the concept and the title from West Coast disc jockey Al Jarvis, creating the illusion that he was broadcasting from a ballroom with the nation’s top dance bands performing live. He bought some records from a local music shop for the program as the radio station had none. Block purchased five Clyde McCoy records, selecting his "Sugar Blues" for the radio show's initial theme song.

Because Block was told by the station's sales staff that nobody would sponsor a radio show playing music, he had to find himself a sponsor. Block lined up a producer of reducing pills called "Retardo"; within a week, the sponsor had over 3,000 responses to the ads on Block's radio show.  Martin Block's style of announcing was considerably different than the usual manner of delivery at the time. Instead of speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard in a theater, Block spoke in a normal voice, as if he was having a one-on-one conversation with a listener. When one of Block's sponsors offered a sale on refrigerators during a New York snowstorm, 109 people braved the elements for the bargain Block advertised; by 1941 potential sponsors for his show had to be put on a waiting list for availabilities.



In 1968...Gary Stevens does last show at WMCA 570 AM


In 1970...Jimi Hendrix died in his apartment from an overdose of sleeping pills in London at the age of 27.  Hendrix was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Mary Abbott's Hospital in London.  Hendrix had left a message on his manager's answering phone earlier in the evening--"I need help man."

In 1971...on the album charts...Stanley, Idaho's Carole King dominated the album chart once again as Tapestry was #1 for the 14th week in a row.  The Moody Blues remained in the runner-up spot with Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and Rod Stewart was next with Every Picture Tells a Story.  Who's Next was next followed by Ram from Paul & Linda McCartney.

The rest of the Top 10:  The self-titled Carpenters, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon by James Taylor, the Soundtrack to "Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, Black Sabbath with Master of Reality and the epic What's Going On by Marvin Gaye.



In 1974...John Lennon was a guest DJ on WNEW 102.7 FM in New York City.

In 1978…"WKRP in Cincinnati," starring Gary Sandy, Howard Hesseman, Gordon Jump, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Jan Smithers, Richard Sanders, and Frank Bonner, started a four-season run on CBS-TV.


In 1983...For an MTV publicity stunt to promote KISS' new album, Lick It Up , the band appear in public for the first time without makeup.


In 1997....Ron Lundy retires from WCBS 101.1 FM


In 2006...WIYY-FM, Baltimore, becomes the 1,000th station to commence HD Radio transmissions

SiriusXM Not Giving Up On Tiered-Pricing

Jim Meyer

At Tuesday's Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2014 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference, Sirius XM Holdings Jim Meyer once again discussed market segmentation and introduced a new tiered pricing concept.

According to Seeking Alpha, this is not the first time that Meyer has discussed addressing market segments with lower priced and/or targeted offers. On recent earnings conference calls Meyer has noted that the company's subscriber base was underrepresented with both women and Hispanic subscribers.

It has also been a difficult market to penetrate. A year ago the company tried tiered pricing to go after the Hispanic market, centered around Piolin radio, with a $5.99 package. The offer was a suite of Spanish language stations including news, talk, sports and music programming, all geared towards the sector. That $5.99 Hispanic package offering has not been successful, and it's not known whether it was pricing or lack of compelling content that was the reason for failure.

Piolin is gone, but Meyer is not about to give up on addressing the Hispanic market. Admitting the difficulty of trying to address a fragmented Hispanic market, Meyer stated: "we're trying lots of things, we're learning lots of things. I will tell you, it's not easy. You know, what's successful in Miami doesn't necessarily work in San Antonio and doesn't necessarily work in L.A. And we're going to keep working at it and keep trying. When we find stuff that doesn't work, we move away from it."

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Pittsburgh Radio: KDKA-AM Adds Jim Krenn To Mornings

Jim Krenn

News Radio KDKA 1020 AM is adding Pittsburgh native and former longtime WDVE host Jim Krenn to its Friday morning lineup. Ralph the Cat and Stanley P. Kachowski -- two of Mr. Krenn's on-air alter egos -- are sure to follow, according  to the Post-Gazette.

Krenn, last heard on local airwaves in December 2011, joins the KDKA Morning News with Larry Richert and John Shumway from 8 to 9 a.m. He debuts Friday at the station's annual Spaghetti Breakfast at the Heinz Hall Garden Plaza, Downtown.

"I get to re-connect with listeners, which is a lot of fun, and I get to do it with friends [Mr. Richert and Mr. Shumway], which is great," said Mr. Krenn.

After 24 years on the air, Krenn was released by WDVE 102.5 FM in early 2012. But he's hardly been idle; Krenn continues to host live comedy/variety shows, performs stand-up and has a weekly online podcast, "Jim Krenn: No Restrictions."

His work often takes him to Los Angeles.

"But I missed the connection with listeners. I love the city, I love the people, and it's been genuine," said the 54-year-old Krenn.

NYC Radio: Joan Hamburg Joins WABC For Weekend Show

Joan Hamburg

Cumulus has announced that Hall of Fame Broadcaster Joan Hamburg joins WABC 770 AM to host “The Joan Hamburg Show” beginning Saturday September 20, 2014.

The new show will air on Saturdays from 1p-3p.

Hamburg is a familiar and award-winning voice in New York radio, best known for her years spent as host of “The Joan Hamburg Show”. At 77 WABC, Hamburg will continue discussing the most important social, economic and political issues that impact listeners’ lives each week. Hamburg will also interview major celebrities and powerful political figures on the program. Hamburg will also produce weekly features and exclusive programs available in digital formats. In addition, shows pre-empted by play by play will be presented on the 77 WABC stream and within other 77 WABC digital products, a first for the Joan Hamburg Show.

“How excited I am to join legendary WABC radio and work with Kim Bryant, Craig Schwalb and the rest of the Cumulus family. And what a treat to join their roster of the best talk talent in the country. New York get ready -- the conversation is about to begin,” Hamburg said.

“Adding Joan to our roster of talent is a no brainer. New York expects to hear big personalities on 77 WABC and they don’t get much bigger than Joan Hamburg,” said Craig Schwalb, Program Director at 77 WABC.

Known as New York’s “First Lady of Radio,” Hamburg was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame in 2012 and has been named “New Yorker of the Year” by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce due to her dedication in improving the quality of lives for those throughout the New York metropolitan area. In addition to numerous other awards, Hamburg is an accomplished author and columnist.

Radio Remains Second Fav For Political Commercials

With the mid-term elections on the horizon, politics marketers are preparing to make use of programmatic buying to reach their audiences, according to mediapost.com.

A new STRATA political survey says that 85% of political agencies plan to use programmatic for their political media-buying efforts this year. The company says the agencies polled represent roughly 75% of total political advertising billings.

Unsurprisingly, October will be the biggest month in terms of political ad spend, per the survey. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents said client budges have either increased or stayed the same since the last congressional election, per a release.

Spot TV/Cable will eat up most of the budgets, with 82% of agencies saying that’s where their clients willl focus. Internet/Digital and Spot Radio tied as the second most-used media, per a release. Spot TV (57%) and online video (43%) offer the greater return on investment.

“Our political shops are leveraging tools and social channels that are built for real-time marketing,” stated Joy Baer, president of STRATA. “Because of its ability to react instantly to changing market dynamics, programmatic buying is a tremendous tool for political advertisers when trying to respond to an attack or get a message out right away.”

Report: Overall Ad Revenue Moving At Snail's Pace

A slow-moving U.S. advertising market only inched up 0.7% in the second quarter of this year -- partly due to media spending going into Winter Olympics media budgets earlier in the year, reports mediapost.com.

Jon Swallen, chief research officer at Kantar Media North America, stated: “Our analysis shows that Olympics advertisers reduced their year-over-year Q2 spending by more than 4%, while non-Olympics advertisers posted a 2% increase. The latter is more indicative of core advertising market performance at the midyear point.”

Specific media that took hits include broadcast network TV, down 7.2%; magazines, off 5.7%; newspapers, shedding 10.4%; radio, off 3.6%; outdoor, slipping 1.6%; and spot TV, off 0.5%.

Broadcast network TV suffered from fewer NCAA March Madness and NBA playoff games compared to last year; with spot TV seeing lower spending among automotive and telecom advertisers -- although it had higher political ad budgets.

In radio -- for both national and local segments -- lower spending resulted from financial services, insurance and restaurant categories. Small gains came from telecom and retail advertisers.

Still, other specific media showed strength in the period, including cable TV, Spanish-language TV, and Internet display advertising.

Report: CBS Radio Sends Francesa 'Lawsuit' Letter

Mike Francesa said on his WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM show Tuesday that CBS Radio, which owns the station, wrote a letter earlier this month threatening to sue him if he spoke on the air about the show's ongoing TV simulcast problems, writes Neil Best at Newsday.

Francesa said he accepted blame for what has been a rocky arrangement since it began in March.

Then he said he received a letter from his company upon returning from vacation Sept. 2 saying he would be sued if he discussed the matter publicly.

Francesa did not specify the nature of his dispute with CBS, but presumably its cooperation would be needed to either revise or dissolve the contract with Fox for the TV simulcast.

Karen Mateo, a CBS Radio spokeswoman, said, "There has been no discussion of any kind in regards to a lawsuit."'

After learning of Mateo's statement, Francesa responded on the air, saying, "I was told not to say anything and I was handed a letter which in three different places says it will hold you liable and responsible for all the money in the agreement. That's a threat."

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Pittman: Reaction To Name Change Is Positive

Bob Pittman On FBN

Bob Pittman, the CEO of the company once known as Clear Channel and now known as iHeartMedia told Fox Business News that the company “outgrew its name” and noted that advertisers are totally cool with the new corporate handle, reports rbr.com.

His remarks came during an interview with Liz Claman of Fox Business Network.

According to Pittman, the company’s vast universe of listeners already tends to think of it as iHeart.

Pittman told FBN, “The company outgrew its name, we had a proud heritage under Clear Channel but I think all the stuff we’ve done in creating the multiplatform between digital and our events and what actually we’re doing is broadcasting and social has really said, you know, we need another name.

Asked by FBN about advertiser reaction he said, “…the advertisers I think love it, we’ve talked to a number of them already who are weighing in and think this is great because it kind of reflects who we are and what we can do for them.”

Meanwhile, The LA Times reports the company has posted annual net losses since its leveraged buyout. Last year, the company posted a loss of $606.9 million, compared with a loss of $424.5 million in 2012.

Subsidiary Clear Channel Communications Inc. last week sold $750 million of 9% notes due in 2022 to repay $741 million in loans that were set to mature in 2016.

Pittman, who has run the company since late 2011, said he's optimistic about his firm's prospects.

"We're in pretty good shape," Pittman said. "We have been substantially working on our debt structure. You're always working on the capital structure with any company at any size."

Observers called the name change a bold move, but questioned what it would ultimately achieve, according to Crain's.

"IHeart gives them the fireworks; the terrestrial radio group gives them the cash," said industry analyst Robert Unmacht. "They're hoping to make it look better in a nice package."